Sky's Still Blue
by sassywriterchick
Summary: "It seemed incredible to her sometimes, that they had managed to grow old together, herself and Will Herondale."—a series of Wessa one-shots following their life together.
1. Familiar Faces

a/n: I absolutely love Will and Tessa, and I always will. I desired to capture some of those moments in my writing, but the honest truth is—I honestly don't know if I'll finish them all. I may hit the complete button on this story at any time, just because I don't have time, so be aware of that. Anyways, as for this one-shot, I always wanted to know how the rest of the conversation between Will and his parents at the end of the Clockwork Princess would have gone. This is my interpretation of it.

Summary: The one hour at the Herondale's in Yorkshire.

Linette Herondale had given up on any of her children coming home a long time ago. Ella was beyond their reach, in a place no living soul could reach. Will had left them, had joined a place she couldn't join. Now Cecily had departed for the same place as well, and she feared that they would change her last daughter like they had changed all the others.

"Mrs and Mr. Herondale!" their maid, a kind sweet thing named Annabelle called, her voice frantic with an emotion Linette couldn't quite place her finger on—excitement? "It's Miss Cecily, and another boy—I think it's Master William!" Linette's heart froze in her chest. Annabelle had never met Will; certainly it couldn't be her boy, because these things simply _didn't happen_. Will couldn't be coming home—

Still, Annabelle _had_ met Cecily, and at last one of their children had returned. She dashed down the steps, and she could hear Edmund coming behind her, his feet pounding out a reassuring beat on the steps.

She flung open the door, and there she was, Cecily, standing next to a handsome gentlemen with soft green eyes and brown hair. Her gaze moved to the other people standing with them.

Will. She would recognize him anywhere, her son, even if all the angular and softness of his boyhood had turned into rock hard muscle, even if he was inked with Shadowhunters runes and was very much _taller_ then her. There was a girl standing next to him, holding his hand but Linette found she couldn't focus on her, not when her boy had just come home.

"Go on," she heard the girl whisper softly, releasing Will's hand and pushing him slightly forward. Linette stepped forward, and then threw her arms around him, crushing him into her embrace, trying very hard not to cry.

"I knew you'd come back. I knew you would," she whispered, because with whatever thoughts she might have had about never seeing any of her children again were soon quenched, and she realized that somewhere inside her she had always known he would return home to her. She never wanted to let him go, but soon Will drew back, smiling, and patted her on the shoulder. She couldn't but help but laugh, shakily, as if some part of her soul had just been wrenched back together. He was taller then her now, and she found herself murmuring that to him in Welsh, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Little mother, " he said, and his voice was deeper, crisped with a British accent instead of the steady Welsh she was used to. She finally moved her gaze to the girl who had come with him, a pretty little thing with wide grey eyes that had somehow seen far to much, a thin pale face and smooth brown hair pulled back. She seemed to shrink back slightly from Linette's gaze, as if scared that the other woman would bite. "Mam and Dad, this is Theresa Gray," Will said, stepping down to stand beside the girl once more, "We are engaged to be married, next year," he declared.

Linette couldn't help but gasp, but it wasn't because she objected, it was because she couldn't possibly _believe_ that her William was so grown up now. It was as if in her mind, her boy had stayed the same, had been the same age in her head. It was hard to see him now; grown up and about to get married to a girl she had never met.

"And who is this gentleman?" Edmund asked, his eyes fixating on the man with Cecily. Linette froze. She knew Edmund would be fine with Will marrying so soon, but Cecily? She was their baby, the one who had stayed with them the longest. After only a couple months apart, she couldn't be getting married could she?

Will grinned, and she saw happiness there, a sight she was pleased to see, but it was mingled with something sad, something haunted. "Oh him," he said. "This is Cecily's—friend, Mr. Gabriel Lightworm."

Gabriel had been stretching his hand out for Edmund to shake, but now he froze. "Light_wood_," he sputtered. "Gabriel Lightwood—"

"Will!" Cecily cried out in outrage, stepping out of her Father's arms to glare at her brother.

Will turned to look at his Theresa, his smile widening, and that was when she knew that he loved her, and she loved him. Theresa's expression started out as annoyed, as if she going to reprimand Will for making fun of Gabriel. Then as Will's blue eyes met her's, an expression of mirth canceled out all other things, and the girl was laughing, and Will was looking at her with admiration and pride—as if he lived to make this girl laugh.

"Miss. Gray," she began.

"Oh please, call me Tessa," Tessa replied, her laugh fading away, and she again looked slightly scared.

"How did you two meet?" she asked curiously, as Gabriel shook Edmund's hand and made his greetings. Will and Tessa exchanged glances, full of meaning she couldn't decipher.

"It's rather a long story," Will finally answered.

"I was being held captive by some very bad people," Tessa broke in, her eyes glimmering faintly, "and Will rescued me."

"Not before you had the opportunity to whack me over the head with a pitcher," Will muttered, "I could've died."

"You were fine!" Tessa exclaimed, and in her eyes as she looked at Will was something so adoring, so beautiful that she couldn't but feel that Will and Tessa would last. This wasn't a passing fancy.

"And how did you and Mr. Lightworm meet?" Edmund asked, and Gabriel went beet red.

"It's Light_wood_!" Cecily protested, "and I helped him kill his Father," she said this so casually, that Linette couldn't help but stare at her daughter in shock, and Gabriel went an even brighter red. Will and Tessa both began to laugh again, and out of the corner of her eye she caught him slipping his hand back into hers.

"Demon pox," Will declared happily, and Edmund's face flashed with recognition.

"Oh I know—"

"Maybe we could switch onto different topics," Linette broke him off, flashing him a look of warning. "Are you two here to stay?" she couldn't help but ask, not matter how hopefully pitiful it was. She already knew the answer, but it still hurt to hear Will and Cecily answer in unison.

"No."

"But we will visit," Will said shyly, and she saw his grip on Tessa's fingers tighten. The moment of laughter had passed, and now she could see the many years on her Will, her wonderfully innocent Will, as he suddenly looked shameful and stared at his feet. "I am sorry," he said suddenly, "for leaving."

No one said anything, and she saw Tessa look at Will with concerned eyes. He had been through a lot in the last few years she realized, something she didn't know and probably would never know.

"It's okay," she said, her tongue slipping into Welsh. Will glanced up in surprise, "I just want to know _why_."

"There was a curse," Will's voice broke, and Tessa immediately filled in.

"I'll tell it," she said bravely, "For I know the tale as well, and it might be easier for me to say it." And she told the truth behind her Ella's death, and why Will had left. Why he had the haunted look of someone that had lived through to many days.

Linette stepped forward again, and her arms roped tightly around her son. "I love you," she whispered in Welsh in his ear, because she knew their time was almost up, and they wouldn't see each other for several more years. "And take care of that girl. She's a special one."


	2. Home

a/n: Obviously, I have never been to the Victorian era, and I haven't really done a ton of research about it, so I apologize for any mistakes.

Thank you for your feedback!

Summary: Tessa and Will visit her old home in New York.

May 3rd, 1880

When Tessa left New York three years ago, she never expected to return like this. Of course, she always knew that she wouldn't stay away forever, that sometime in her future she would return to the city of her birth, even if it were only for a visit.

She had always thought though, that the person that would be accompanying her would be her brother. She had thought they would re-visit all of their old haunts, say hello to friends, and visit Aunt Harriet's grave together. That had been her last comforting thought before she boarded the ship.

Of course when she had departed for London, she had never imagined the trials that she would face there. Her original plans seemed faded now, and she had practically given up ever returning to New York. It didn't matter as much to her anymore, she had Will and that was all that really mattered.

Still, no one could say Will Herondale didn't like to surprise her. So on the morning of her twentieth birthday, she found herself back in New York, thanks to Will's insistence to make this the best birthday of her life, even tricking Charlotte into letting them use the portal to get here instead of traveling by boat.

"So this is where you grew up?" Will asked with a great deal of curiosity, peering up at Tessa's old apartment building. She nodded shyly.

"But someone else must live here now," she said quickly, not sure if she wanted to see the interior. If it appeared unchanged, the same old building, she thought she might break down. Surely something about this place must have changed, like she had changed so drastically.

"Well," Will tapped his chin thoughtfully, his blue eyes flickering to meet her's. "Do you want to check?" he asked her, and she bit her lip.

"It seems silly," she began, "but I'm rather afraid of what I'll find."

"Well the person living in your apartment might have a large collection of ducks," he said thoughtfully.

"Can one truly have a collection of ducks?" Tessa asked despite herself. "Don't ducks usually live in the wild?"

"Some people have been known to domesticate them," Will said wisely, "but of course, those poor unfortunate souls have never been heard from again." Tessa laughed, despite herself.

"Well, now that we've canceled that theory out," she said, taking a deep breath, "and I believe that ducks could be the worst possible scenario, I guess there is nothing left but to go and find out!" Will smiled down at her, and held out his arm. She took it gladly, sending him a tense smile in return.

Before they could step into the building however, a shout erupted from behind them.

"Tessie?! Is that really you?" a loud boisterous voice exclaimed, and Tessa winced inwardly. This was the one person she really hadn't wanted to meet again in New York, so _of course_ he was approaching them now. Nate's former best friend, Daniel Lockster.

"Hello, Mr. Lockster," Tessa said politely, turning around, her arm slipping out of Will's. Nate's best friend was the person who originally got him into the drinking gambling game, and Tessa and her Aunt had never been particularly fond of him. Unfortunately for her, he had always been overly fond of her.

"Oh c'mon Tessie!" he said loudly, and pulled her forward in a rather rough—not to mention _improper_ embrace. "You've known me for years, what's up with familiarities?" He smelled like alcohol. Thank the angel she had gotten stronger over the past three years and was able to pull back from him with sheer force, that and Will's hand on her arm, yanking her out of the man's arms.

"Mr. Lockster," Tessa began, but Daniel cut her off once again.

"Don't be so formal, _Ms. Gray_," he said, smiling a wide grin. He didn't seem to have noticed Will, who was quite clearly debating whether or not to kill the man in front of them.

"Actually," Tessa said, deliberately stepping on Will's foot as he opened his mouth to talk. "It's Tessa Herondale now. I will ask that you call me Mrs. Herondale, and not to touch me like that again."

Daniel looked flabbergasted. Will took this opportunity to say something very inappropriate to him in Welsh, which Tessa only understood because he had been teaching it to her.

"He's Welsh," Tessa said cheerfully, " and he doesn't know how to speak English." Daniel looked even more shocked, and Tessa smiled. Will looked slightly annoyed, but he couldn't make any snappish toward him, which meant that this could potentially end happily.

Will took her arm again and they marched off, making sure to be well in the apartment building before he talked.

"Why did you say I could only speak Welsh?" he asked her in annoyance, "I had some very choice words for him in English."

"That's exactly why I said it," she said smiling, "I didn't want him to punch you."

"I could take him," Will scoffed.

"Oh I know," she said, smiling, "But I don't think the American government would react so kindly to you giving one of their citizens major injuries." Before Will could respond, she looked around the small lobby of their apartment building. It looked the exact same, she realized with a shaky feeling in her chest. There wasn't even any new unusual holes or cracks, it was just the same. It was like she would see Aunt Harriet walking down the stairs any moment now, ready to take Tessa to the book store.

She pulled free from Will again and started towards the staircase, suddenly needing to see the place she had once lived. She could hear his footsteps on the steps behind her, but she didn't give any word or indication that he should say anything. She realized how fast she was moving, her leg muscles much stronger after three years of training.

They had lived at the top floor, a small dingy apartment and when she reached the door she gasped. The peeling red paint was exactly the same, as was the name's printed on the sign beside the door.

She shoved open the door, her new strength making the lock push free easily. She heard Will's sharp intake of breath and knew that this was probably illegal, but she had to see.

"Why haven't they moved this all out?" Tessa asked quietly, because her apartment was exactly the same. Her small bed in the corner by the window, her old books stacked on top of them. The small kitchen table, Aunt Harriet's sewing still draped over the back of the chair. "I swear, I packed this all up." Will crossed over to the table and picked up a note that she hadn't noticed at first, his blue eye's scanning quickly over the paper.

"It seems this was going to be Mortmain's engagement present to you," he said in a disgusted tone, flinging the letter back onto the table. "So now we know where your missing belongings went." Tessa took a shaky breath, and crossed over to her small bed, picking up the small blanket that lay on top of it, and held it to her face, inhaling the scent.

She didn't know how Mortmain had persevered the smell, but it held the same fragrance her Aunt had always used to smell like. That smell had once brought her memories of home, of Nate dancing her around the kitchen, of her childhood. Now it just smelled of forgotten memories.

"This is rather creepy," Will declared, "but luckily there is no food on the premises."

"Well that's good," Tessa said, trying to sound happier then she felt.

"Do you want to take any of this stuff back with you?" Will inquired, opening a wardrobe, and looking inside.

"Maybe the quilt," Tessa said softly, it's fabric still wrapped in her arms. Will turned back to look at her once he heard her quiet voice, and in a moment he had crossed the room. He wrapped his arms around her, and she buried her face in his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, "I wish we could move out here—you could be in your home, but I have to run the institute—"

"This isn't my home Will," she whispered against the crook of his neck. He pulled back slightly so he could look down at her, his features pulled into a confused expression. "Not anymore anyways," she let the quilt fall to the floor, sending up puffs of dust. "You're my home Will," she said, smiling, "You're all I need." He sucked in a deep breath, and then leaned down and kissed her.

This home, this home right in front of her, was the only home she would ever need.


	3. Shax

Sorry for the late update!

...

It had been Tessa that sent him out demon hunting with Gabriel and Gideon that night. It was Tessa that had insistently pushed him out the door. She had thought it would do him some good, getting fresh air, feeling the adrenaline pumping through his veins—she surely didn't expect to be shaken awake frantically by their new maid Lola late that night.

"Mrs. Herondale!" Lola shrieked in her ear, "Mrs. Herondale!"

"Yes?" Tessa asked blearily, "is Will home yet?" Lola was terrified of the head of the institute, and seemed to think that if Will so much as made a joke in the same room as her it meant she was about to be fired.

"No—it's not that Mrs. Herondale, I mean he is home but—"

"Speak clearly," Tessa said, her attention on the girl now, pushing herself into a sitting position. "What is wrong?"

"Master Herondale is severely injured Miss!" Lola said, twisting her cap between her hands. "Mr. Lightwood and Mr. Lightwood were carrying him to the infirmary, they sent me to get you!"

Time froze. Tessa could hear the words _severely injured _circling around in her mind, making everything seem suddenly clearer, all dregs of sleep vanishing from her person at once. She kicked back her sheets, reached for her dressing gown, and tugged it over herself.

"Lola, I need you to go wake Cecily, tell her to contact the silent brothers—say Will's severely injured," when the girl hesitated, Tessa pressed on. "_Now_."

After the girl had finally hurried away, Tessa practically ran in the opposite direction. She knew that if anyone saw her they'd be appalled by how unladylike she was acting, her dressing gown loosely tied, her feet bare, her hair down from it's pins and streaming around her shoulders. She couldn't bring herself to care what other people thought however, because what did it really matter if Will truly was severely injured?

Within no time, she was at the infirmary, flinging open the door with a dramatic flair to rival her husbands.

Any hopes that Lola was wrong, that Will hadn't been really truly injured were dashed at the sight of the room. Will lay in the bed closest to the door, and they had already ripped away his shirt, it lay in a pile of black gear by the door. It was so it wouldn't irritate the wound further, Tessa knew, but it still terrified her. With his shirt off, you could tell what was wrong. The black gear would've masked the blood running down his arm, the sweat sheening on his chest and throat.

She gasped, because there was a chunk of his arm, a sizeable _chunk_, missing from his arm.

"What the hell happened?" she demanded, not even thinking of her language. She was addressing Gabriel and Gideon who sat on either side of Will, their faces obviously worried.

"There was a Shax demon," Gideon explained in his gentle reassuring voice, "Will took the blow for Gabriel."

"Of course he did," Tessa whispered, trying not to look at the wound that was pulsing blood. "Why is it not bandaged?" she suddenly demanded of the both of them, "Why haven't you tried to stop the bleeding?"

"We used some blood thinner runes," Gabriel said quickly, as if scared of her wrath, "but we feared that the use of a bandage might damage the wound further since it's so—" he gestured hopelessly at Will's arm.

"Gaping?" Tessa suggested, her voice rising, "Monstrous? Deadly? Horrible? Gigantic—"

_Tessa. _The voice wasn't spoken aloud, but instead echoed inside her head. Tessa whirled around, hair flying every which way, and was greeted with the sight of Jem standing in the doorway.

Of course, he didn't look like Jem, parchment robes and closed eyes, the scars of runes marking his face, dark hair. Still, he was inexplicably her Jem, and she felt her heart seize and falter in her chest. If anyone would help Will, it would be him, she was sure of it.

"Jem," she said quietly. He didn't bother to correct her, to tell her to use Brother Zachariah, but instead went to Will's side, pushing Gideon aside to do so.

_What demon caused this bite? _He asked, in that eerie mind-speak of his.

"It was a Shax demon," Gabriel substituted, as Tessa pushed him out of his chair and sat down beside Will.

"Is it poisonous?" Tessa asked quietly, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. No one answered, not even Jem. Jem was the one she needed to hear, and she didn't need to hear his odd thought speaking, she needed to hear his voice, his kind voice, telling her Will would be okay. "It is, isn't it?" again, no one said anything.

She forced back her tears and instead bowed her head down, resting her forehead against Will's other arm. She closed her eyes, allowing only a couple tears to escape, splattering onto Will's sleeve.

"Don't cry Tess," said a slow, soft voice. Tessa's head flicked up again, Jem had moved to Will's injured arm, and Gabriel and Gideon were now standing in the corner of the room whispering. Will's blue eyes were half-open, a slight smile turning up his lips. "It's all gonna be just dandy," he said, his words slurred. She smiled.

"Of course it is," she lied, "Jem is here, and he's going to fix you. He's going to make you as good as new."

"Love you Tess," he said, his eyes slipping shut again

"Will?" she asked, jostling his good arm, "Will?"

_Mrs. Herondale, _Jem spoke in her mind, acting like she was a stranger. He was acting like Will wasn't lying there dying at all. _I am going to call the other silent brothers. I am afraid that they will need to be here if we are to save his life. _

"Alright," she said, her voice hoarse. Jem glided from the room, and she let out a shaky sob. Gabriel and Gideon followed him out, and she and Will were alone. He had put a bandage on Will's arm, she noted.

"Tess," Will spoke again, "Why're you worried?"

"You're hurt," she said softly, her hand moving to push back the sweaty strands of hair that clung to his forehead and temples.

"Don't worry you're not getting rid of me that easily," he said, and once more, he fell silent.

"Tessa?" Cecily stepped into the room, her eyes huge in her face. "Is Will…is he okay?" she stepped closer to the bed. "Gabriel said he was hurt in the fight, and that the silent brothers have to be here to heal him."

"He'll be fine," Tessa said, even if she didn't believe it herself. Cecily looked slightly relieved, and it pained Tessa. What if he didn't make it through? What would happen then? "Trust me Cecy," she added, her heart breaking at the words. She was lying through her teeth.

_I have returned. _Jem said, his voice echoing in her head. Both her and Cecily jumped in surprise. Tessa turned, expecting to see a whole assemble of silent brothers behind him. But it was only Jem, his parchment robes trailing against the ground, a bottle clutched in his grip.

"Where are the others?" Tessa asked, standing up from Will's side. Jem didn't answer her, but instead moved beside Will's bed. Tessa watched him with concerned eyes, before moving her gaze on Cecily.

"Cecily, would you be a dear and check on Gabriel for me?" Tessa tried for a calm, reassured tone. "He rather stormed out of here earlier." Cecily obediently left, and Tessa sat back down in her seat. "How bad is it?" Tessa asked Jem quietly.

_Mrs. Herondale—_

"You know me Jem," Tessa said, raising her chin. "I will not break. Tell me the truth, now."

_Shax demon poison is a very peculiar thing, _Jem began in a rather hesitant tone, if Silent brothers could have such tones, _we only have one antidote._

His words would normally reassure her, but instead they set an unpleasant feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"What 's the twist Jem?" she asked him quietly, "What's wrong?"

_The antidote has a different effect on different people. It could cure him, or it could kill him within the next twelve hours. _

Tessa let out a sort of gasp, and then placed her head back down onto Will's good arm.

"Do it, if you must," she said between gasping breaths. This was Jem, she knew she could cry in front of him, but the only person she allowed herself to cry around was Will. As much as she loved the Jem she had known, he was not her husband. Nor, considering the monk-state he was in right now, was it ever going to happen.

She didn't watch as Jem forced Will to swallow the antidote, but instead felt it, as his body shuddered up and down. She clutched even tighter at his arm, biting down on her lips so she didn't cry out. Will made a sort of gasping sound, and then went still.

"Will?" she whispered.

_We cannot know whether or not he will survive at this time, _Jem said, and to her surprise he sat down on Will's other side, taking his injured hand gently.

"Are you staying here with us?" Jem looked up at her then, and she could see the dark shadows of his hair beneath his hood.

_I will always stay with the two of you. _

They didn't say another thing all through the night to each other. They kept quiet, watching Will breath, waiting for the moment when he would either open his eyes, or take his last breath.

The sun was just rising when Will's eyes flew open, his chest heaving as he gasped for air. Tessa had been afraid that it would be the end, but instead his breathing settled down and he closed his eyes, falling asleep, his face resting gently against the pillow.

_It seems he has survived, _Jem said, something like fondness in his mind-voice. He stood up to leave, and Tessa looked up in surprise.

"You're leaving? Before he wakes up?"

_I think the excitement of seeing me might be to much for him, _Jem responded, and Tessa couldn't help but laugh, the laugh full of relief.

"Please play your violin on the way out," she said, and then turned back to Will, taking his hand.

He wasn't dead. _Yet. _


End file.
